Some of you may have had this experience … having an auxiliary room associated with the main worship space.
In our temporary Sunday worship, we have chairs and a video/audio feed set up in the lobby outside of the auditorium. We need that overflow space, as we routinely have more worshipers than can fill the 455 seats at our 10:30 Mass.
Yesterday was a scramble, as the chairs were set, and the video feed was working. But sound? Nothing. A staff colleague asked me if he should read the readings. The people on staff at the center were trying to get that audio hook-up to work. I gave them the first reading and the psalm before giving the go-ahead. We actually had a permanent deacon visiting from out of town. So after my colleague read 1 Corinthians, we had a deacon proclaim the gospel and give a mini-homily. First time that’s happened to me.
They never did get the sound link to work.
Anyone else ever have such a situation, possibly with a technology feed to a basement or other room? What’s the best practice? Do you make sure the Word is heard? A songleader to lead the responses and psalm and maybe a hymn or two?
Catholic Sensibility 
Wouldn’t it be something if all churches had this problem? Over full. Nice.
In my prior parish, another priest would offer Mass for the overflow crowd, in the lower church, on about a 15 minute lag from Mass in the upper church. Participation by jumbotron et cet was considered even less desirable than preconciliar praxis.
My current parish has this. The overflow space is just the foyer outside, and its often only used by families with small children. We don’t own the space, so don’t have control over the fixed wiring and speakers. So the people who set up the video weren’t able to sort out an audio feed at all. Not a good situation, one I’d love to fix, but the relationships involved are too tricky for now. It would really help if the people outside ASKED for an audio feed, but apparently it’s never occurred to them.
Find a larger space …. ??